Say they sought him for about a month; officer finds him hiding in Randolph

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MILTON — A motorcyclist who police say routinely drove his bike at 100 miles per hour along Interstates 93 and 95 and Route 24, eluding State Police and other officers for the past month, was apprehended early Tuesday, authorities said.

The suspect — identified as Daniel Rebello, 29, of Somerset — had engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with law enforcement, taunting an Arlington police officer Friday and then roaring away on his motorcycle, officials said. State Police said Rebello called their headquarters in Framingham Monday and boasted that he had escaped once again.

But Rebello’s luck ran out about 7:28 a.m. Tuesday, a day after authorities asked for the public’s help. He was arrested by Randolph police Officer Charles Boudreau, who found him hiding behind a parked tractor-trailer off Route 139 in Randolph. The arrest, police said, came after Rebello was spotted
speeding north on Route 24 and then drove south on the grassy median strip and changed “lanes recklessly” to avoid state troopers who were waiting for him.

Arlington police Officer Michael Foley said it was “extremely likely” that civilians would have been hurt if Rebello was not apprehended.

PAT GREENHOUSE/GLOBE STAFF

Daniel Rebello was arrested on several charges Tuesday.

According to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, Rebello has amassed a 15-page driving history since 2000 that includes 11 speeding tickets in communities around Massachusetts and multiple license suspensions and warrants.

In July, his license was revoked by the Registry of Motor Vehicles as an immediate threat to public safety following a high-speed chase in Dartmouth that ended with State Police citing him for speeding in a construction zone, according to records.

According to the Registry, Rebello has paid fines and fees on eight occasions to regain his license following multiple traffic violations. Before his arrest Tuesday, Rebello had been ticketed for speeding in Dartmouth, New Bedford, Lowell, Somerset (twice), Northampton, Holyoke, Fall River, Swansea, and Westport. He also has at least one traffic violation in Rhode Island, records show.

On Tuesday, Rebello was booked at the State Police barracks in Milton, where troopers and police officers from Arlington and Randolph summarized their encounters with the motorcyclist during a press conference. Authorities said Rebello had been a mystery to law enforcement before his arrest. Police officers said they sometimes were able to look him in the eye before watching him speed off, squeezing through narrow spaces between cars.

Last Friday, State Police Trooper Michael Hardman said he was in morning rush-hour traffic on Interstate 93 in Randolph when Rebello, on his yellow and black Suzuki motorcycle, dangerously maneuvered through traffic until he was next to Hardman’s cruiser.

Hardman said they looked each other in the eye, and when he turned on his cruiser lights, Rebello sped away, making illegal moves through the congested road.

That same day, around 4 p.m., Foley was in his marked cruiser when he saw the Suzuki emerge from a bank parking lot in Arlington. He said Rebello looked directly at him
and then drove away on a sidewalk.

“He made eye contact with me, put down his shield on his helmet, and just took off up the sidewalk for about 50 feet,’’ Foley said. When Rebello put down his face shield, “I would say that was a taunt,’’ Foley said.

PAT GREENHOUSE/GLOBE STAFF

State Police displayed a Suzuki motorcycle driven by Daniel Rebello.

He said Rebello drove between parked cars, sometimes drove in the wrong direction, ran multiple red lights on Route 60, before heading out onto Route 2. At that point, Foley lost sight of the motorcycle, and his superiors called off the pursuit under a policy that emphasizes using police work to identify speeders, not dangerous pursuits.

Arlington police were able to identify Rebello through interviews at businesses in town. State Police, too, were able to put a name to the motorcyclist.
Police were poised to arrest Rebello Tuesday, but instead of having to find him, he essentially came to them when he got on his bike Tuesday morning.

Rebello was employed by McDonald Contracting, which posted a note on its Facebook page Tuesday. “Dan Rebello is no longer working for our company. He was not driving any company vehicles, nor was he working at any company work sites during this incident, and therefore McDonald Contracting is not responsible for Mr. Rebello’s actions,’’ the statement said. “His behavior in no way reflects the values of McDonald Contracting.’’

He was arraigned Tuesday in Quincy District Court ,where he pleaded not guilty to numerous charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon, two counts of racing a motor vehicle, two counts of operating motor vehicle with license suspended as a habitual traffic offender, and failure to stop for police, said Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s office.

Judge Mark Coven set bail at $10,000 cash — prosecutors had asked for $50,000 cash — and ordered Rebello held for 60 days for violating terms of bail imposed in New Bedford District Court earlier this year.